Coffee Boosts Metabolism and 4 Others You Need to Know

Our metabolism is like the furnace or fireplace in your house – it gets everything going! Find out the five best foods to boost your metabolism here...

January 15, 2014

Our metabolism is like the furnace or fireplace in your house – it gets everything going! Our body’s metabolism gets every cell in our body warm, excited and ready to go. What we eat plays a large role in the effectiveness of our metabolism. Eating regularly and starting the day off with a well-rounded breakfast are two of the most important things you can do to spark your metabolism. Like your fireplace, if you don't add wood, your metabolism will die down. If you don't eat regularly, your body doesn't have fuel and will slow down. A great way to start the day would be with carbs, protein, and a fruit or vegetable; for example a bowl of oatmeal with Greek yogurt, and berries, or a veggie omelet with a piece of wholegrain toast.

In addition to starting the day right, here are five foods that have been shown to spark our metabolism.

Coffee: The caffeine in coffee is one of the world's most studied elements, and it has definitely received mixed reviews. A central nervous system stimulant, caffeine may act as an appetite suppressant and increase your body's ability to burn calories by stimulating thermogenesis, the process of generating heat and energy from digesting food, according to the Mayo Clinic. In fact, research shows that the caffeine in one cup of coffee can temporarily increase metabolism by 15 percent. It also helps boost metabolism and promote fat breakdown, rather than the loss of muscle mass.

Fiber rich foods: Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts are especially high in fiber, any fruits with edible seeds or skin like raspberries, blackberries, and pears are also high in fiber. Your body works hard to digest all vegetables, which increases your metabolic rate. Think color as well as fiber when you choose fruits and vegetables – both will help you to get nourished and feel fuller longer.

Green Tea: Studies have shown that people who drink about 24 ounces per day of green tea burn 70 to 100 more calories per day. The calorie burning capacity of green tea is said to be due to the antioxidants called catechins.

Chiles: Spicy foods including hot peppers, chili powder, cayenne powder and more contain capsaicin, which has been shown to increase the release of adrenaline and raise body temperature. When your body temperature goes up, so does your metabolism. The only catch is that you need a good amount of capsaicin to increase body temperature, so add a small spicy element to each meal instead of a large amount at one meal.

Water: It has been said that drinking five to eight glasses per day of very cold water helps speed up the metabolism because your body has to use energy to warm the water back up to your normal body temperature of 98 degrees. But it may not be necessary to shock your body with cold water, because the key is staying hydrated. Being well hydrated keeps your metabolism at optimum levels. In fact drinking very cold water may disrupt your digestion, so SupermarketGuru suggests you stick with room temperature water – about a half cup per hour should do the trick!